CHAPTER XII. 



THE TRANSITION FROM INORGANIC MATTER 

 TO LIFE. 



MR. SPENCER is too clear a thinker to fall into 

 the absurdities of the advocates of "sponta- 

 neous generation." It is a complete misunderstanding 

 of his doctrine, to assume that he has any interest in 

 finding, by experiment or observation, evidence of 

 new forms of life rising into being out of inorganic 

 matter. Supposed instances of this kind are of value 

 only to advocates who aim at catching the crowd. 

 Mr. Spencer strengthens his position by confuting the 

 advocates of " spontaneous generation." His theory of 

 evolution and every possible rational theory of evolu- 

 tion would be overturned if it were proved that new 

 forms of organic life could, in a few hours or days, 

 spring out of inorganic matter. " That creatures 

 having quite specific structures are evolved in a few 

 hours, without antecedents calculated to determine 

 their specific forms is," he says, "to me incredible. . . . 

 My disbelief extends not only to the alleged cases of 

 'spontaneous generation,' but to every case akin to 



